All the Pats need to do is win the NEXT game, regardless of opponent. All we can ask. I am certain the team does not tremble in its boots like some fans here about which team it may face in the divisional round.

You would rather play vs Luck then Dalton? That's crazy. Cincy's D has been average the last half of the year. There also a 3-5 team on the road. Indy has beaten SF, Seattle, KC and Denver. Thats a serious track record.

If the first round holds to form, Indy goes to Denver and Cincy comes to NE. I would much rather play Cincy then Indy. I like lucks chances in Denver. I know Cincy beat NE but that was in Cincy and they have lost 2 defensive starters since then.

The donkeys lost to 3 of the 4 AFC playoff teams they played this year.

I think the pats would beat the bengals, but I'm not thrilled about that matchup. If Dalton limits the turnovers, they can beat anyone.

they barely beat the Pats in Cincy while they were flying , the Pats on the otherhand were still finding themselves.

That's true, but they have a tough enough defense to slow down the pats and they have enough weapons on offense to score. Cincy isn't a juggernaut, but if you look at the teams that have beaten the pats in the playoffs of late, cincy definitely fits the mold .

KP - how many games did the pats play this year against playoff teams to make themselves battle tested? how many did the Broncos play?

KP - might not know that strength of schedule he is showing is based on opponents' 2012 records. Ultimately, teams change dramatically from one year to the next, and the Chiefs, Falcons, Redskins, and Texans are perfect examples. Rather than relying on a poorly conceived estimate, lets look at the ACTUAL strength of schedule for this year using this year's games now that the season is over. Here are the winning percentage and records of each AFC team's playoff opponents. Turns out the pats, bengals, and chiefs schedules were easier than predicted. Colts, Chargers, Broncos were harder. In fact, there was not much of a difference at all in the schedule strength of Indy, Cincy, NE, and Denver.